The invention relates to a universal medical connector for coupling intravenous conduits.
The attachment of intravenous tubing to intravascular catheters for the administration of fluids and medication to patients has been widely utilized for decades. Generally, an intravenous tubing system comprises a segment of tubing which is distally attached to an intravascular catheter inserted into a patient's blood vessel. Such primary conduits usually have junction terminals at an end which are occluded by a penetrable septum. Such a system acts as a primary conduit system. A secondary conduit may be connected to the primary conduit system for the administration of fluids into he patient. The secondary conduit generally has a fluid source a its proximal end and has an open distal end for attachment to the primary conduit system.
FIG. 2a illustrates a conventional primary conduit with its distal end occluded by a septum. In conventional connection, a needle attached to the open end of a secondary conduit is inserted through the septum of the primary conduit to create fluid connection between the fluid source and the catheter.
One major problem with tubing systems is that the needles frequently loosen and become disconnected from the septum during fluid administration. This can result in the medication spilling into the patient's bed or onto the floor. An even greater problem is that the needle may become contaminated through disconnection. Contaminated needle portions may be readvanced through the septum thereby introducing contamination into the primary tubing system.
Yet another problem with existing systems is the danger that the needle poses to heath care workers who must daily make numerous connections and disconnections since the needle may be contaminated by viruses which are present in the blood which can often back up into the primary conduit adjacent the septum. Inadvertent needle stick has long represented one of the greatest problems in the medical field. Not only can needle stick occur during connection and disconnection, but needles occasionally become lost in the bed or elsewhere and provide a continual danger to all workers in the hospital environment. The estimated incidence of needle stick injury is 600,000 to 1,000,000 cases per year and may occur particularly when the nurse is using many very different types of intravenous conduit systems.
Junction terminals and septae come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. FIG. 1 illustrates the profile of a number of such conventional junction terminals. Commonly, such junction terminals have a head portion which includes a septum which occludes the distal end of the junction terminal. Such junction terminals generally further comprise a rigid tube which extends to the head bearing the septum. The head diameters vary considerably from as little as a 0.301 inches to as much as 0.389 inches, and may be comprised of stretched latex or rigid plastic. Similarly the tube diameters vary from 0.224 inches to 0.330 inches. The head diameter may be virtually the same as the tube diameter or may be substantially greater than the tube diameter. This great variation makes very difficult a universal connector which can reliably and effectively connect and tightly hold or lock onto almost everything that is available in the hospital or medical environment, while at the same time providing substantial protection of health workers and patients from needle contact or stick.
The Ogle Patent No. 4,834,716 demonstrates a shielded needle for insertion into a Y shaped junction terminal. However, the Ogle device provides only a shield and does not provide a secure attachment. Lopez et al., 4,752,292 sows a variety of specifically interfacing devices which include shielded needles intended to provide attachments between primary and secondary tubing systems. However, the disclosed devices have components which must attach to other specific interacting components of a compatible primary system. These devices are not, therefore, compatible with conventional primary systems. Indeed, such devices will not securely attach to the wide range of conventional junction terminals in present use, but rather require the nurse to use a specifically compatible interfacing primary system which may not be readily available. Therefore, none of these devices provides a universal device which can securely lock to the broad range of conventional junction terminals presently in use in medical practice.